U.N. Secretary General Asked to Seek Return of Abducted

Syria’s abduction of six persons on Lake Tiberias over a week ago, and a request for United Nations intervention for the return of the six to Israel, figured prominently today, when Ambassador Michael S. Comay, Israel’s permanent representative to the United Nations, conferred here with Secretary General U Thant. Representations on that issue had been made to the U.N. last week on Israel’s behalf by a member of Israel’s permanent mission here, Col. Yaacov Montaz.

Today’s Comay-Thant conference had been scheduled prior to the development of the latest Syrian incident, since Mr. Comay is about to depart for a month’s stay in Israel to consult with his Government about issues to arise at the next session of the General Assembly. The latter body will open its annual, regular session September 17. Mr. Comay will leave for Israel Wednesday. In addition to discussing the Syrian incident, the Israeli diplomat and the U.N. chief talked also about other current Middle East problems in general.

At the same time, today, Mr. Comay presented to Mr. Thant the new Israeli deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, Yoel Barromi. Mr. Barromi, born in Italy, and holding doctorates in jurisprudence from Rome University and the Hebrew University, emigrated to Palestine in 1939, served during World War II in the British army, served in the Israeli Army in 1948-49, and latterly held posts in the Israel Foreign Ministry as head of the Latin American and Western Affairs desks.